Four Hugs, and One That Everyone was There For
by Daladakea
Summary: Summary: Four times that Spiderman hugged his team when they needed it and the one time they all hugged him when he needed it most.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: White Tiger (Ava Ayala)

White Tiger hardly ever needed any hugs. She was a strong willed and self reliant teen with cat powers from a mystic amulet. But right now, as today was the anniversary of her father and grandfather's deaths, she was feeling very sad and alone. She was in the detention area, knowing that nobody would look for her here at this time of day. School had been out for about an hour, and the only one here would be the janitor. Tears are pushing their way to the surface. She knows she could release them here. Nobody would actually be around to see. But she still wanted to convince herself that she was strong and that she didn't need anyone. Plus it was a private family matter. S.H.I.E.L.D would see of course. But only Director Fury and Agent Coulson. And they knew the reason for her isolation on this day.

As her tears began to overwhelm her strict control, she sensed someone standing in the room with her. Spiderman, aka Peter Parker was there when she looked up. Without hesitating, she threw her arms around him and started crying into his shirt. "Ava, are you ok?" Idiot question in this circumstance of course, but he didn't really know what else to say. "You know who Kraven took Pete. This is the day." She managed to say through her sobs. "Same day as my Uncle Ben too." He said returning her hug.

They sat there for a few minutes and then got up and grabbed their stuff from the lockers. They didn't have training today, so they were going to the movies with the team. "Pete, don't tell anyone ok? If they ask, I'll tell 'em I got allergies." "They won't believe that. What are cats allergic to?" "Not a clue." They chuckled a little at their little rhyme. The rest of the day went just fine.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Nova (Sam Alexander)

He was sitting on the roof of Peter Parker's home, staring at the stars. The team was having a sleepover there and he felt sad that his real family couldn't see how good he'd turned out. Aunt May was always so nice. When the Helicarrier had crashed, he'd been so excited about staying here. He'd been missing his family for so long, he'd even wash dishes and do all the chores in the world to please her. He brought her a flower and as he'd stepped into Pete's home, he thought, _My gosh! This isn't a dream, it's really happening! One chance to get her to like me, one chance to have a mother for a while. I hope I don't blow it._ He was nervous and hoped it didn't show. As he offered to do the dishes and handed Aunt May the flower, he knew he'd won her approval. It was a dream come true and he had been close to happy tears, he remembered how he''d really hoped it didn't show. He tried to cover by barging into Pete's room and commenting on the boxes he guessed contained Pete's prized comics. He remembered how he hoped Spiderman wouldn't see how desperately he'd wanted Aunt May to believe in him and do fun things with him that he'd done with his own family as he told him he hadn't had a real family around in a long time. He remembered how sad he'd been to go back to the Tricarrier after it had been finished. Tonight, he had felt more removed from the group in the living room than usual. He started doing something he never did, he started thinking about his family. He watched Christmases and other holidays and birthdays over the years play through his mind.

Presently, he realized that he wasn't as alone on the roof as he'd thought he was. Peter was standing there next to him. "Hey, Buckethead." He said as he sat down next to Sam. "What's eating you? What are you doing out here by yourself?" "I thought you were downstairs with everyone else." Sam said in a voice that didn't sound like his own. He noticed a lone tear was trailing down his cheek. When had he started crying? "It seems you take long bathroom runs. We all thought you tried to join the Helicarrier in the Hudson." Peter said in a gently joking tone. He reached over and wiped the tear off Sam's cheek, then placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Talk." He gently commanded. Sam sighed a little shakily. He wasn't crying anymore.

"Remember when we accidently tore down your house that night we were going to throw you that thank you party?" He asked. Peter nodded. "Remember when I told you that I hadn't had any family around in a while?" Again Peter nodded. "Well, I was remembering them. My real family. I was thinking of all the fun times we had. Before, you know." "Yeah?" Sam nodded. "Hey, Webhead, you lost your parents before I lost mine. You've had longer to deal with it. Does it ever get easier?" Sam looked up at the stars again, unable to meet Pete's eyes. "Over time it does. At least it did for me. But it will always come back. Always. Of course, I didn't lose my whole family, so I guess I don't have it as hard." "Right." They sat silently for a while, then Peter broke the silence and said," You know Sam, you do still have my Aunt May and me and the team. We're all close enough to be family, wouldn't you say?" Sam hugged Peter hard in reply. Peter just reached up and hugged him back. Then they got up and got back into the house through the window. As they were walking to the stairway, Sam said, "Thanks Webhead." Peter just nodded in response. Duties of a leader. He was starting to enjoy helping his team.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Power Man (Luke Cage)

Unbeknownst to the team, Luke had a pet dog, a German Shepherd named Big Bear. One day as the team was walking to the park from school, a German Shepherd barked and tried to cross the busy street. "Look out! Stray dog!" A woman yelled. The team turned their heads to look with interest.

Luke suddenly recognized Big Bear. "Bear boy! No! Stay!" He shouted. The team looked at each other. "Bear boy? You have a dog with a funny name Luke?" Sam teased. Unfortunately, the dog heard his owner shout, but didn't hear the words. Barking happily, he abandoned all caution and ran into the street. A car came and hit him. The team heard the dog yelp. "Big Bear! No!" Luke shouted as they all ran to the dog. The traffic had all stopped since the car backed off the dog and stayed parked. Angry people who didn't see what was happening honked their horns at the hold up. The dog was still alive. Barely. Luke picked the dog up and together, the team ran him back to Peter's house. When they got there, Luke knew it wouldn't do anything. The dog was in too much pain and couldn't be healed.

"Stand back guys. I don't want him to suffer until the vet can get here." Knowing what he meant, Danny asked if Luke wanted him to do the deed. "No thanks, man. He's my dog, and I gotta be the one to end his pain." Drawing his fist back, fighting back tears, he quickly and humanely ended his dog's life. "Sorry boy. I'm sorry." He said. The team offered to bury him while Luke went into the house to reflect on his dog's life and to try to accept what had just happened. He sat on the sofa and put his head in his hands. As Peter moved to follow him, he heard Sam say the same thing that Peter had said when he found out about Luke's parents. "Gee, who knew a guy so tough and invulnerable would be vulnerable over a dog? Oh well, could happen to anyone." With Sam, that comment would've most likely been considered a very unfeeling joke, but the teen's tone was very sad and Peter and everyone else knew that it was a thing of sadness, astonishment and sympathy. Peter came in and saw Luke on the couch with his head in his hands. He tried to figure out the best way to help him.

Luke didn't look like he was crying, yet. So maybe now would be a good time to try to get him to talk about his feelings. Peter knew that while Luke was physically invulnerable, he had a big and tender heart that could hurt for a long time when hurt. "Luke, are you ok?" Pete asked as he moved over to the couch. Luke looked up at him, his eyes showing his pain clearly. "No. I had to kill him. My own dog that I raised from a pup. I know I did the right thing, but it feels wrong. I wish I could've made the vet look at him, give him something to make him better. I know he wouldn't get better, but I wish I'd had time to check with the vet anyway. Pete, I loved that dog." His voice cracked at the end. His eyes watered slightly. He sniffled and wrapped his arms around Pete and buried his face in his friend's shoulder. Peter hugged Luke until he let go. "Thanks Pete. I'll ok sooner or later." He smiled bravely.

"Alright Luke. We're always here for you when you need us. If you ever want to talk about it, just say so." Luke looked about ready to cry again as he replied, "Will do Pete. Will do." They went outside to join their friends so Luke could pay his last respects. As everyone silently stood by Luke, Peter reflected on how much this team loved each other. They would always help each other, whenever, where ever and how ever they needed. And just a few months ago, they'd been trying to mesh into a fighting team. Amazing how quickly things change.

**A/N I'm so glad that I've gotten so many reviews! This story so far has the most reviews of all that I've written and it's only been up a few days. Ok so a few notes, amazon4eveas no this will not be updated every day, there are only a few chapters left and I have a picky mom for computer time, so whenever I write stories, be forewarned that they might not be updated regularly. They usually don't go on hold for very long, but they may be on hold for a few weeks for Christmas. latinoheat151,thank you very much for the idea for the last chapter. I had only a vague idea for it and you just helped me fill it in. Also Ava and Peter are not a couple in this or any other of my fictions. I may do romance stories at some point, done correctly they are very sweet, but I feel that there are too many on this archive. I want to write family/team/friendship stuff for the most part.** **As for other questions and comments, I'm happy everyone loves this fiction so far. It's sort of a way for testing the waters for a reader centric fanfiction crossing over from Star Trek 2009 and possibly Lab Rats. I hope that you'll take a look at my Star Trek 2009 story New Life, New Universe as it will be the first in a possible three stories. It currently has only 3 reviews and not one of them a suggestion, although they are positive. As for the length of these chapters, I can't make the chapters in this particular story any longer, as they are meant to be short and sweet, although at some point I do plan on possibly doing a few spinoffs and they may or may not be in the long fanfiction that I'll be writing at some point. That's all for now! See you for the next updates!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Iron Fist (Daniel "Danny" Rand)

Danny was spending a few minutes, contemplating his upcoming departure to K'un L'un to rule as king. He was thinking about his team and all the friends he'd made. He would miss them all terribly. He remembered when he thought almost a year ago that he'd lose Spiderman and his other teammates then, but he'd been allowed to borrow more time. He remembered how hard he'd hugged Spiderman, enough to make him gasp and complain that he needed to breathe. Danny smiled a little at that memory. He also remembered how sad he'd felt. He'd shaken so hard as he'd hugged Spiderman. He'd been struggling not to cry. For a brief instant, he'd thought he would cry that long ago day. Now, he had a month left before his time came. He'd be a great ruler, but he''d never be permitted to see his friends again. As he brushed a tear off his cheek and sniffled ever so slightly, he felt an arm around his shoulders. Pete had sat down next to him. Ordinarily, he'd have sensed Peter's presence before he'd managed to get within ten feet of him, but he'd been unbalanced and not calm. He'd been preoccupied. "Danny, I'm going to miss you when you go back. We'll make your last month here the best ever."

"All my friends that I've made here, all the memories, from S.H.I.E.L.D and from school and free days, they will always remain in my heart. I will miss it all so deeply. Peter, I feel that I may have made a mistake joining S.H.I.E.L.D. While I learned enormous amounts, I chose to grow close to the people I've worked with, people who have become my friends. I feel that it was a mistake, because I will not be permitted to see them again. I knew this when I chose it, but I believe that I was blind to how much pain it would cause me, and more importantly, the pain it would cause the friends that I've made. I'm sorry Peter."

He covered his eyes as his body shook with silent sobs. He very suddenly hugged Peter. He was careful not to squeeze too tight until Pete had his arms around him too, so he wouldn't crush him. Soon his crying was audible, barely, but it was still enough to tug Peter's heart. Here was his teammate, his friend, who was always so calm, so collected, always knew what to do, and now he couldn't be calm, could not be collected and didn't know what to do. Peter knew he should say something.

"Danny, what you chose wasn't a mistake. It's going to hurt us to see you leave, and to know that we'll never see you again, but I think that we'll all realize how well off K'un L'un is with you as it's king. You learned more about honor, courage and trust. You taught us those things, even if we didn't always seem to pay attention. Danny, we all love you, and we will miss you. A lot. But I think as much as we're all going to miss you and as much as you'll miss us, you'll be a great king, and we'll all be better as a team for your contributions. Maybe, one day, when we face a problem we don't know what to do with, we'll remember one of your fortune cookie comments and we'll know what it meant. Don't worry about us Danny. Don't worry about any of it. We have a whole month left. We will all make it the best." He smiled as Danny stopped crying, regained his normal calm and stood. "Thank you my friend. I will always remember your kind words." He said as he turned to go back in the gym. Peter reflected on how closely bonded his team had become, and how losing one member would affect them all.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Spider man (Peter Parker)

Aunt May had been in a car accident. The news had come the hospital by phone. She was in intensive care. She was expected to live, but she might end up with some permanent limitations to her mobility. And of course there was always the chance that she wouldn't make it. Peter was terribly off kilter today because of this unfortunate occurrence. He missed several easy kills in training today and Fury noticed as much as his friends had. Nobody needed to order them to talk to him. But Fury did anyway.

So as it came to pass, he was walking along aimlessly. His feet ended up taking him to the cemetery where he quickly found his parents' graves and that of his Uncle Ben. He still felt guilty for Uncle Ben's death, even though it had pushed him to being the amazing hero he was now. And he missed his parents terribly. He started remembering times with these important people in his life as if it all had just happened yesterday. He saw his mother's smile as she whipped out a batch of fresh cookies from the oven on Christmas Eve. He heard his father laughing at young Peter's antics, and he remembered when Uncle Ben had given him a new bike and told him to never stop believing in magic.

Presently, there were tears streaming down his cheeks. He was sobbing gently, but enough to be heard by his approaching friends. Danny was, naturally, the first to wrap his arm around Pete. "What bothers you so, my good friend?" He asked gently. He felt terrible for Peter, even though he knew the majority of his friend's pain was temporary. Peter pulled back from Danny and hurriedly dried his eyes and stopped crying, though there were clearly more tears to be shed. "Nothing Danny. I'm fine guys. Just a bad day." He said trying to convince them. "A bad day isn't enough to make even you miss every target in the training Webhead." Sam said tauntingly, although it was obvious to everyone that he was getting more emotional about this than he'd like to admit. Peter was worried that his mask would falter enough for them to see that he definitely wasn't ok in a second. He felt embarrassed about his team seeing their leader like this. Luke seemed to notice his reasoning. Peter was never going to figure out how he did that. "It's ok to show how you're really feeling Webs. We may be a team and you're the leader, but even a leader can have nasty problems and need friends." Luke said, laying his hand on Peter's shoulder.

Peter heard another sniffle and turned to see Sam scrubbing a little ashamedly at his eyes. Sam came over in tears and said in a voice thick with emotion, "Pete, you were there for us and now we're here for you." Then Sam hugged Peter and Peter found himself crying and hugging right back. Ava wiped her eyes and then laid her hand on Peter's other shoulder. Everyone was hugging for a while, when they all realized that Peter still hadn't said anything. They decided to tell Fury that Peter was just having a really bad day, and had been blowing off steam. When Peter later told the what had happened, they all offered to help around the house until Aunt May got well. Peter now knew that no matter what happened to his team, they were all friends and family, so close no matter the time or place. They were all invaluable to each other. They were united in a friendship, a bond that could never be broken. By anything. And that was the best of all. They could always depend on each other in a fight, but they could also depend on each other for support in the rest of life too.


End file.
